The Gods' Butterfly
by Alpacca Joe
Summary: What would happen if Kuno gained the power of the Gods? I shudder to think...


_Disclaimer : Don't sue me over Ranma ½. 'Sain't mine. But this story's mine. You wanna post it, ya ask me first._

_What would happen if Kuno gained the power of the Gods? Answer: read this fic._

_*Notes at the end._

_A BloodRose Creation@}-;-_

_ The Gods' Butterfly_

  


_ Prologue_

_ It is said that there is a sword technique that the Gods created to favour the Samurai during the ancient wars with the demons & oni that would rule Japan. A technique that, if used correctly, could kill a thousand demons in one swing, could rain down the wrath of the Gods on any in it's path, but if used incorrectly, could rip those same Gods from their thrones with it's sheer power. But throughout the centuries, that technique was lost to mere Legend. And with the Gods' graces, it will stay that way........._

_*_

_ High in the mountains of Nerima, Japan, a high, whining howl could be heard for kilometers around. With a screech like that of a banshee, the wind twisted into a funnel, not quite a tornado, which rose into the cloudless sky. It rose until it seemed it would disappear, then plummeted back to earth, spreading its wings as it hit the trees & sheer face of the mountain in its fatal dive. _

_ The trees, which had been tall, thick-trunked pines, were sliced vertically, butterfly-style, into thin slices halfway down the tree. The sheer face of the mountain was sliced the same, with thick rents in the solid stone. At the base of the wall was a large crater, half filled with stone & branches from the filet-o-trees. As we watch, the pile begins to move._ _Rocks & branches fly from the crater like an explosion, & from the rubble comes a man. Well, not really a man, more like a teenager. He is kneeling on top of the rubble, a boken in one fist, the other, trembling, at his side. He wears a black & blue kendo gi, & has his face turned to the sky, eyes closed in silent dignity. When his eyes open, this image quickly dissolves. _

_ "I HAVE DONE IT! FINALLY, MY LIFETIME OF TRAINING HAS BORNE FRUIT AS SWEET AS THE LOVE OF THE PIG-TAILED GIRL AND AKANE TENDO! FEAR NOT, MY LOVES! SOON, SOON I WILL RESCUE YOU FROM THE ARMS OF THE CRETINOUS SAOTOME! RANMA SAOTOME, PREPARE TO MEET YOUR DOOM! AAAHHHHHHH HA HA HA HA HA HAHAAAHAAHAA HA!"_

_Thankfully, he is silenced by a stray boulder, which falls from a fissure in the rock face, directly onto his head. Don't worry about the twitching. It just means he's still alive. _

_ We move now to a familiar street in the city of Nerima, to the well known Tendo Dojo, where the inhabitants of said Dojo are just sitting down to a leisurely lunch._

_"Please pass the soy sauce, father."_

_Kasumi Tendo had finished serving & had just sat down to lunch. She smiled pleasantly as she glanced around the table, widening when it reached Akane & Ranma. They sat side-by-side, eating quietly. Every now & then, one would sneak a glance at one another, a small smile lighting their face. As both Ranma & Akane reached for a daikon pickle, their hands met. They turned simultaneously, a blush prominent on their features, & pulled their hands back. Akane continued eating her rice as if nothing happened, while Ranma used his chopsticks to pick up a pickle & placed it in Akane's bowl, blushing furiously. Akane turned & smiled into Ranma's eyes, placing one hand on his arm. They simply sat & smiled at each other, oblivious of everyone else. Soun & Genma-panda turned & locked eyes, tears flowing down their faces._

_ Kasumi watched all this from under her eyelashes, her lips formed into a small contented smile as she ate. She had finished making breakfast early that morning, & when she had called everyone to the table, Akane & Ranma had entered together from the direction of the Dojo. When she had called for lunch, it had been the same. Pausing in her reverie, Kasumi frowned, only now noticing that Nabiki had to yet make her appearance. Shrugging mentally, Kasumi made a note to put some food to the side for Nabiki to eat later._

_Both Akane & Ranma announced that they were finished & rose, heading in the direction of the Dojo, then paused. Kasumi turned toward the koi pond, hearing what Ranma & Akane had detected a split second before. _

_ A faint rumbling, almost like thunder..._

_ "Oh, my. I guess it's going to rain." Kasumi said, sipping her tea._

_ "Ranma..." Akane sounded worried as she latched onto Ranma's arm. _

_ "I know, Akane. That ain't thunder; it's gettin closer..."_ __

_Then, almost as if summoned, a blue streak flew over the garden's back wall & into the Tendo's back yard, landing squarely in the koi pond with a loud "SPLASH!". As the water rippled, the wind blew slowly, bringing the only sound into the heavy silence._

_Suddenly, the koi pond exploded with a loud, resounding "BLLOOOOOSSSH!". _

_And standing on the stones bordering the pond was a soggy boy wearing a black & blue kendo gi, no shoes, wielding a boken, with a koi on top of his head. _

_ Tatewaki Kuno. Oft-times known as the Blue Thunder of Furinken High._

_ The usual madness evident in his dark eyes, Kuno leveled his boken at Ranma, his smile wicked enough to send chills down any sane person's spine._

_ "Ranma Saotome...," he almost crooned, his voice un-naturally calm._

_"Today is your last. Today, finally, I shall rid both Akane Tendo & the Pig-tailed girl of your vile presence."_ _ He took a step forward & fell into his stance, ready for anything Ranma could possibly throw his way. Frowning, Ranma pushed Akane gently behind him & out of harm's way._

_ "I don't know what you're on this time, man. But I ain't in no mood for a challenge. Whatever it is, can't it wait?"_

_Kuno's crazy smile widened as his stance changed. He held his boken at a low angle with one hand, turning his body at a diagonal with one hand at his side. He gave Ranma a side-long glance, eyes shining crazily._

_ "Such cowardice, Ranma! But it is to be expected, as I have mastered a technique the Gods themselves have bestowed unto me! Now, cretinous Saotome! Have at thee!"_

_Kuno raised his boken slowly, causing a water flow* effect. He paused long enough to send Ranma a devious smile, allowing Akane time to analyze his attack. Just before Kuno let his boken drop, Akane grabbed Ranma & jumped to the side, sending them crashing through the rice paper door. Behind them, Kuno's maniacal laughter echoed on the wind. Ranma looked down at Akane, who was cradled in his arms._

_ "Akane, how did you-"_

_ "The wind was gathering around his blade. Ranma, be careful! If you let it touch you, it'll tear you to pieces! If something happened to you I'd-I, who would I-"_

_Ranma set her gently on her knees & smiled reassuringly._

_ "Don't sweat it, Akane! Now I know when ta dodge, so he can't hurt me! Just stay out of the way, and it'll be over before ya know it!"_

_Akane bristled immediately._

_ "Stay out of the way! Well, if I'm in the–"_

_Ranma put a finger to her lips to silence her & smiled gently._

_ "I just don't want you to get hurt."_

_Akane's expression softened &, before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around Ranma's neck & hugged him tightly. After a second, Ranma returned the hug, then gently pulled away._

_ Kuno was standing amongst the ruins of the dining room, boken raised over his head in one hand, the other clenched into a fist at hip height, laughing manically. Frowning, Ranma launched himself at him, ready for anything._

_ "KACHU TENSHIN AMMAGURIKEN!"_

_Ranma let loose his attack at Kuno's side, but Kuno was ready for him. Turning to Ranma with an insane smile, Kuno raised his sword, wind already gathering around the blade._

_ "I've found you!" he whispered crazily, eyes sparkling._

_Ranma ducked out just in time. The wall past the now-demolished doors was destroyed. Ranma rolled away from Kuno's feet just before he attacked again. Ranma jumped over Kuno's head, attempting to knock him out before any further damage could be done to the house. Kasumi had retreated to the kitchen with what was left of the lunch dishes. Kuno, sensing Ranma's attack before it came, ducked, causing Ranma to fly straight into Kuno's blade. Twisting at the last second, Ranma was able to avoid most contact, & Kuno's attack merely skimmed his leg, the remainder of the wind splitting the ceiling raggedly open. Ranma knelt right in front of Kuno, his leg throbbing hard enough to make it difficult to stand. He was completely at Kuno's mercy._

_Just then, the fast thudding of bare feet on wood could be heard, & Soun & Genma raced into the dining room, steam still rising from Genma's head from the hot water he had poured over it._

_ "Can it be?!" he exclaimed, clenching one hand into a fist at shoulder height. "Can it truly be the technique lost over so many centuries that, even to the best martial artists & sword masters, it has become mere legend?!"_

_Soun, who was standing next to Genma with his arms crossed, turned to look at him, ignoring the damage of his home._

_ "Saotome, you can't mean..."_

_Genma's homely face grew grave as he nodded._

_ "That's right, Tendo. The Gods' Butterfly. The sword technique that is said to use the very wind to slice even rock so thin, it is almost see-through. Just like a fine butterfly cut on a piece of meat. We're fortunate to have lived long enough to see this, right Tendo?"_

_Soun slung his arm over Genma's shoulder as he began to laugh._

_ "That's right, Saotome! Now let's get out of here, before this crazy boy decides to try his technique on us."_

_Akane, by this point, was trembling with rage & before the pair could run to safety, she thoroughly obliged them by sending them into Low Earth Orbit._

_ "I can't believe those two! Honestly."_

_Kuno, meanwhile..._

_ "AT LAST! WITH THIS ONE STRIKE, I HAVE BEATEN RANMA SAOTOME! AKANE TENDO, PIG-TAILED GIRL! YOU SHALL BE SAFE IN MY ARMS! STRIKE!"_

_Akane, seeing how much danger Ranma was in, decided to j jump in. Kuno had just brought the blade above his head. Akane prepared to jump, when–_

_ "What? Nabiki Tendo?"_

_Nabiki stood in front of Kuno, blocking Ranma from view. She was still wearing her pajamas, her hair was mussed & had pieces of wood sticking out in every direction. There was dust covering her angry face, & her closed eyelids were twitching, a vein popping out of her forehead. Behind her, her bed lay-in pieces-on the dining room floor. Pushing one sleeve to her elbow, Nabiki wound up, & as Kuno flew into Low Earth Orbit with the force of Nabiki's uppercut, he discovered there was a force on earth more fearsome than even an angry martial artist, that Akane Tendo was not the most dangerous in the Tendo Dojo._

_ Hell Hath no Fury Like Nabiki Scorned._

_As Akane knelt next to Ranma, she never took her eyes from Nabiki, who was still standing with her arm in the air. Slowly, she turned toward Akane & Ranma, who tensed as she approached. Nabiki slowly walked past them, picked up her blanket & pillow, & turned in the direction of the dojo._

_ "If anyone wakes me up, I'll make Kuno look like a walk in the park!" she growled as she walked past._

_Akane & Ranma stared after her, eyes wide. Slowly, they turned to look at each other, one word shared between them amongst the ruins of the house._

_ "Kowaii."_

_And the Gods echoed their sentiments._

  


_The End _

* _Waterflow: movement done so slowly, it gives the illusion of water._

_Well, hope you liked my fic. If ya didn't, too bad. This was my first fic, an I'm proud of it, goddammit! Well, enough raving._

_All questions, comments, whatever, can be sent to __nasty311@netzero.net___

_All flames will be used to roast the marshmallows. _

_See ya. Or not. _

_ BloodRose@}-;-_

_Completed on January 20, 2003_

  
  



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